T.O.P to reportedly make his solo comeback to music for the first time in 12 years
South Korean rapper T.O.P is climbing his way back to the top!
Industry sources told The Korea Herald that the singer is set to make his return as a solo artist in the fourth quarter with a full-length album.
This serves as his first solo music release in 12 years, after his song Doom Dada that was released in 2013.
"T.O.P’s studio album is scheduled for release sometime in or after October. He has completed recording and plans to shoot several music videos," the source claimed.
T.O.P, whose real name is Choi Seung-hyun, will also be collaborating with an art director from the Netflix series Squid Game, who will oversee the production. While the source did not specify the name of the creative lead, the news outlet noted that Chae Kyoung-sun served as the art director for the said show and won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2022 for the production design.
T.O.P was previously cast in the survival thriller show as an arrogant and drug-addicted rapper named Thanos.
The music artist, whose real name is Choi Seung-hyun, was embroiled in controversy in 2016 after he was sentenced to 10 months in prison and suspension for two years for using marijuana while serving as a conscripted police officer.
After this incident, the artist parted ways with YG Entertainment and his group BIGBANG in 2022.
In an interview, the 37-year-old singer-actor shared he hasn't been in touch with his former co-members due to his "immense guilt."
"Maybe when more time has passed and I find peace, I’ll be able to contact them."
When Squid Game 2 was announced, fans expressed confusion over his decision to return after announcing his retirement. T.O.P said that his 20s were a "dark time" and that he "wanted to quit everything" after experiencing downfall for the first time.
But he said director Hwang Dong-hyeok was the one who encouraged him, sharing, "For almost 10 years, I felt no one looked at me, but director Hwang Dong-hyuk reached out to me first. The trust (and) the belief he had in me gave me the courage to take this on. As an actor, it is my duty to repay the trust. Excelling in my performance is another assignment in my life."
Aside from Doom Dada, he also released the song Turn It Up in 2010 as a solo artist.